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Before posting a rip off thread comparing prices in the UK to here ...

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  • 01-11-2009 12:54pm
    #1
    Pacing Mule
    Registered Users Posts: 5,059 ✭✭✭


    I don't mean this to be a demanding patronising post so please don't take it this way but it seems to me that a post like this is badly needed to be stickied here.

    This forum is about rip off ireland and there is no doubt that there are genuine cases of rip offs within the Irish economy. However before you post a "this retailer charges more here than they do in the UK" or "Irish retailers rip us off because I got this cheaper up north" please take the following into account.

    • VAT rates are different. In some cases like magazines which regularly come up here there is VAT levied here in Ireland while there is none at all on the UK sterling cover price.
    • Converting a sterling price using a site like XE.com is not accurate. This is the base conversion rate and not the rate generally charged by banks.
    • The cost of actually trading in Ireland is a lot higher than the UK. There are a lot of factored here but to name a few ...
    • Wage rates in Ireland are a lot higher than the UK.
    • Property prices here although they have come down recently are enormous versus the UK. Bear in mind that the majority of retailers here are locked into leases / mortgages at the much higher rates.
    • Rent and wages are the biggest expenses any business occurs so not only does the retailer here operate with these higher costs every service provided by other local businesses and suppliers is also effected by the same. This means that most other expenses incurred are also significantly higher.
    All these factors make the cost of doing business here in Ireland higher than our immediate neighbours. The fact is that the wages and property prices which went up and up and up each year during the boom was adding to the base cost of doing business here which has to be reflected in the sale price of the goods and services.

    Again to emphasise I'm not saying that there are not genuine rip off cases going on but please bear the above in mind before posting your thread and make sure it's a genuine rip off rather than a price difference caused by different economies. This will avoid the countless repeating of the same threads and responses that are spread across the forum.

    And once you have a genuine rip off post be assured that everyone will be very supportive of you bringing it to public attention. :)


Comments

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    #2
    Terrontress
    Registered Users Posts: 3,900 ✭✭✭Terrontress


    Rather than tell people what not to do, why don't you provide an example so we can be sure to get it right by your standards in future.


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    #3
    Pacing Mule
    Registered Users Posts: 5,059 ✭✭✭Pacing Mule


    That's a rather pointless post particularly because I didn't tell anyone what not to do. I politely asked for some things to be taken into account before posting.

    I've simply made a point that trigger happy posting of prices here as being rip offs when compared to somewhere else particularly the north are spread across this forum and in the majority of cases have similar replies. I'm asking people to take into account the differences in the cost of doing business here before declaring it's a rip off here.

    If you want an example here you go:

    http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055725950 points out that the price in a local independent retailer is significantly cheaper than a larger uk multiples branch over here is charging. Same post makes reference to a big price difference at a hardware store too. That to me is a legitimate comparing like for like post.

    Here's one here http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055444696 and http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055715129 which are the usual price difference threads with the usual points being posted in response.

    At least 10% of the threads here are the same discussions being repeated over and over again.


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    #4
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users Posts: 24,085 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    Pageant Messiah wrote: »
    That's a rather pointless post particularly because I didn't tell anyone what not to do. I politely asked for some things to be taken into account before posting.

    I've simply made a point that trigger happy posting of prices here as being rip offs when compared to somewhere else particularly the north are spread across this forum and in the majority of cases have similar replies. I'm asking people to take into account the differences in the cost of doing business here before declaring it's a rip off here.

    If you want an example here you go:

    http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055725950 points out that the price in a local independent retailer is significantly cheaper than a larger uk multiples branch over here is charging. Same post makes reference to a big price difference at a hardware store too. That to me is a legitimate comparing like for like post.

    Here's one here http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055444696 and http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055715129 which are the usual price difference threads with the usual points being posted in response.

    At least 10% of the threads here are the same discussions being repeated over and over again.

    But, if people follow the "guidelines", it will take away the traumatic fun of the rest of us ripping into them each time. So, have a heart, will you, it's going to be a bleak enough winter as it is.:(


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    #5
    Skopzz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 535 ✭✭✭Skopzz


    Pageant Messiah wrote: »
    I don't mean this to be a demanding patronising post so please don't take it this way but it seems to me that a post like this is badly needed to be stickied here.

    This forum is about rip off ireland and there is no doubt that there are genuine cases of rip offs within the Irish economy. However before you post a "this retailer charges more here than they do in the UK" or "Irish retailers rip us off because I got this cheaper up north" please take the following into account.

    • VAT rates are different. In some cases like magazines which regularly come up here there is VAT levied here in Ireland while there is none at all on the UK sterling cover price.
    • Converting a sterling price using a site like XE.com is not accurate. This is the base conversion rate and not the rate generally charged by banks.
    • The cost of actually trading in Ireland is a lot higher than the UK. There are a lot of factored here but to name a few ...
    • Wage rates in Ireland are a lot higher than the UK.
    • Property prices here although they have come down recently are enormous versus the UK. Bear in mind that the majority of retailers here are locked into leases / mortgages at the much higher rates.
    • Rent and wages are the biggest expenses any business occurs so not only does the retailer here operate with these higher costs every service provided by other local businesses and suppliers is also effected by the same. This means that most other expenses incurred are also significantly higher.
    All these factors make the cost of doing business here in Ireland higher than our immediate neighbours. The fact is that the wages and property prices which went up and up and up each year during the boom was adding to the base cost of doing business here which has to be reflected in the sale price of the goods and services.

    Again to emphasise I'm not saying that there are not genuine rip off cases going on but please bear the above in mind before posting your thread and make sure it's a genuine rip off rather than a price difference caused by different economies. This will avoid the countless repeating of the same threads and responses that are spread across the forum.

    And once you have a genuine rip off post be assured that everyone will be very supportive of you bringing it to public attention. :)



    We know the cost of operating in ireland is too high, but theres still a lot of greed out there wherever the opportunity exists. The price of yougurts in my local centra went from €1.05 in 2008 to €0.79 now in 2009.

    The minimum wage is too high in ireland, thats what contributed to rental prices soaring.


  • Options
    #6
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users Posts: 24,085 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    Skopzz wrote: »
    We know the cost of operating in ireland is too high, but theres still a lot of greed out there wherever the opportunity exists. The price of yougurts in my local centra went from €1.05 in 2008 to €0.79 now in 2009.

    The minimum wage is too high in ireland, thats what contributed to rental prices soaring.

    That would be down to landlords, who, unless they're really incompetent, get a hell of a lot more than the minimum wage.

    Unless of course you're talking about "retail" prices, in which case you can blame everybody, even the customer who doesn't shop around.


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    #7
    TheCandystripes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 553 ✭✭✭TheCandystripes


    also uk has much better transport, much bigger population so its cheaper. same thing happens in norway and sweden and sweden is only a bit bigger than norway, look at the contrast between us and uk.


  • Options
    #8
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users Posts: 24,085 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    TheCandystripes wrote: »
    also uk has much better transport, much bigger population so its cheaper. same thing happens in norway and sweden and sweden is only a bit bigger than norway, look at the contrast between us and uk.

    ....and also, every other country in the Eurozone has different pricing. Take Germany and Austria, where there are dual price labels showing that Austrian prices are higher than German ones.

    I don't know whether the Austrians have got a rip-off forum accusing the Germans of stitching them up.:eek:

    A good "difference" guage is tracking down all of the Aldi and Lidl websites covering the various European countries. Sometimes they promote the same "specials" at the same time, give or take a week or so, and the prices are different for each country.

    Prices are never going to be the same across the board, and will only come down here when overheads drop and competition gets more cut-throat.


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    #9
    mossfort
    Registered Users Posts: 609 ✭✭✭mossfort


    Pageant Messiah wrote: »
    I don't mean this to be a demanding patronising post so please don't take it this way but it seems to me that a post like this is badly needed to be stickied here.

    This forum is about rip off ireland and there is no doubt that there are genuine cases of rip offs within the Irish economy. However before you post a "this retailer charges more here than they do in the UK" or "Irish retailers rip us off because I got this cheaper up north" please take the following into account.

    • VAT rates are different. In some cases like magazines which regularly come up here there is VAT levied here in Ireland while there is none at all on the UK sterling cover price.
    • Converting a sterling price using a site like XE.com is not accurate. This is the base conversion rate and not the rate generally charged by banks.
    • The cost of actually trading in Ireland is a lot higher than the UK. There are a lot of factored here but to name a few ...
    • Wage rates in Ireland are a lot higher than the UK.
    • Property prices here although they have come down recently are enormous versus the UK. Bear in mind that the majority of retailers here are locked into leases / mortgages at the much higher rates.
    • Rent and wages are the biggest expenses any business occurs so not only does the retailer here operate with these higher costs every service provided by other local businesses and suppliers is also effected by the same. This means that most other expenses incurred are also significantly higher.
    All these factors make the cost of doing business here in Ireland higher than our immediate neighbours. The fact is that the wages and property prices which went up and up and up each year during the boom was adding to the base cost of doing business here which has to be reflected in the sale price of the goods and services.

    Again to emphasise I'm not saying that there are not genuine rip off cases going on but please bear the above in mind before posting your thread and make sure it's a genuine rip off rather than a price difference caused by different economies. This will avoid the countless repeating of the same threads and responses that are spread across the forum.

    And once you have a genuine rip off post be assured that everyone will be very supportive of you bringing it to public attention. :)[/quote
    ther is no excuse for the rip off prices charged here in some shops.


  • Options
    #10
    Pacing Mule
    Registered Users Posts: 5,059 ✭✭✭Pacing Mule


    I agree with you - in SOME shops but this forum is awash with price comparisons where every retailer trading on both sides of the border is being accused of ripping people off because the sterling and euro prices are not close enough for some people. What I am saying is simply bear in mind all of these factors make our pricing dearer before standing up and posting yet another UK / Euro pricing rip off thread.


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